Could all schools get scanners to search pupils for weapons?

Teachers in Wales will be given more support to deal with pupils bringing weapons into schools, the Welsh government has said.

New all-Wales resources will be based on guidance already in place in Cardiff which has included giving all schools handheld scanners to search pupils if they're suspected of carrying a knife or other weapon.

Llanishen High head teacher Sarah Parry said it had given schools "confidence" in how to deal with the situation, if it arose.

Plans to roll-out the protocol come after a national behaviour summit last year which followed a school stabbing in Carmarthenshire in April 2024.

Parry said Cardiff's protocol was introduced after headteachers asked for some practical guidance if they had to deal with incidence of weapons in schools.

She said it was not a reaction to an increase in incidents, "it's more about being proactive and being preventative".

"We go to great lengths to constantly make sure our schools are safe places for our students and for our staff," she said.

"However, we have to be aware of the fact that these things do happen.

"They are exceptionally rare but we need to make sure that our procedures are as comprehensive as possible and that we are prepared for such an incident should it ever happen."

Llanishen High, like all other Cardiff schools, has been issued with a search wand, but the headteacher said they not had cause to use it so far.

She said pupils, staff and parents had responded well to the guidance even though it was understandable there might be "some anxiety".

"It gives confidence to the staff and to the parents because we can be assured that all schools in Cardiff, primary and secondary, are adhering to the same guidance that is well thought out - it's consistent, it's clear."

It was important too, she added, that there was a review of any incident to understand the circumstances and try to keep students in the education system.

The Welsh government said new support materials would ensure a "consistent approach for schools across Wales".

It said a working group would develop resources based on Cardiff's Weapons in Schools and Education Settings protocol.

But the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, said it was not yet decided whether schools in all parts of Wales would be issued with search wands.

"I think the guidance will have to be developed based on local circumstances," she said.

"Schools can already use things like search wands - they've already got the powers to screen for weapons without suspicion, so I think we'll do this work with our partners across Wales and then that will be a matter then to consider with schools and local authorities in those areas."

She said resources would be "designed to support school staff rather than place burdens on them".

"School staff already tell me they're worried about these things. I hope that having this kind of resource will be reassuring for them," she said.

An all-Wales protocol would give "more clarity for schools, learners and families to ensure that schools are a safe place", Neagle added.

The guidance introduced in Cardiff in September 2025 advises school staff on the steps to take if a pupils is suspected of having a weapon.

It says staff can search a pupil if there is "reasonable suspicion" that they have a weapon and in most cases a search wand would be used to remove any physical contact.

Suspicion could include "intelligence from staff, a parent or pupil e.g. suspected sighting, overheard conversation", the behaviour of the young person or CCTV footage.

Any search would be done with two members of staff present and in a secure, discreet place and parents would be informed.

Under the guidelines, if a weapon is found then an incident review meeting should be arranged within five school days of the incident.

In Carmarthen town centre, Christine Cox said dealing with pupils taking weapons on site shouldn't be left to schools.

"It's a problem that the parents and the local community need to do things about," she said.

"Don't just think that teachers can do it all."

Julie Griffiths said she was "shocked" that it could happen in Wales and it was "something that you would find in NYC, in the big metropolitan areas in north America".

Laura Doel, national secretary at school leaders' union NAHT Cymru, welcomed more guidance for schools but said: "This is only one piece of the jigsaw, and there needs to be recognition that schools are trying to deal with the symptoms of social issues often beyond their control, and that prevention is better than cure.

"As well as ensuring there is a comprehensive response - including support for schools and children in instances where weapons are found - significantly more resources are also needed to tackle the root causes and ensure families and children consistently receive early help before risks spiral."

The Welsh Conservatives said there was an "escalating lack of discipline" in schools.

Their education spokesperson Natasha Asghar MS said: "Students, parents and our schools deserve, and need, robust action - not warm words and further dithering."

She said the Welsh Conservatives' plan included "banning mobile phones in schools, stopping under-16s accessing social media and introducing automatic expulsions for pupils who bring weapons into schools."

Plaid Cymru said teachers and school staff were "waiting for the Welsh Government to deliver on its promises".

It said rolling out the Cardiff guidance was "just one step".

"Many of the 49 suggested actions from the summit report remain unimplemented, leaving schools and families without the support they urgently need," a party spokesperson added.

A Reform UK Wales Spokesperson said: "Sadly, the Labour Welsh Government have allowed safety and standards to slip in our schools."

The Welsh Green Party welcomed the new resources.

"Although we hope that this new guidance will make schools safer places, we also need resources invested more heavily in mental health for young people in Wales to supplement the new guidance," a spokesperson said.